Shelagh Morris

Director of Corporate Services
Guelph Police Service

A native of St. Catharines, Shelagh joined the Guelph Police in January 2002 following a 20-year career with the Ontario provincial government in Toronto.

During her tenure in the government, she held the position of Internal Auditor with the Ministries of Government Services and Treasury and Economics; Management Board Officer with Management Board of Cabinet; and Manager of Program and Resources Coordination with the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

 While in this latter position, she was responsible for monitoring and controlling the Ministry's finances in addition to preparing the annual Ministry Estimates for Cabinet approval. Throughout this time, she worked closely with the Ontario Provincial Police, which was the largest operating area of the Ministry.

During her last 9 years in the government, she held the position of Police Services Advisor with the Ministry of the Solicitor General where she was legislatively responsible for providing management, technical and operational information and advice to police stakeholder groups such as police services boards, chiefs of police and police associations across the province, including the Guelph Police Service. The Ministry was also responsible for conducting a system of inspections and reviews of municipal police services, a program with which Shelagh had extensive involvement ensuring that police governance and operations were in compliance with Ministry standards. With the recent movement to municipal restructuring, Shelagh was also very much involved in the resulting alternate policing discussions, ensuring that legislative requirements of the Police Services Act were met. Shelagh had also acted as the Manager of the newly created Police Quality Assurance Unit prior to her move to Guelph.

Shelagh's long-term administrative management experience in the public sector, as well as her extensive involvement in the police community across Ontario, provide a dynamic and complementary skill set for the Executive Management Team. As Director of Corporate Services and member of the Team, she looks forward to working with the Chief and Deputy Chief to foster positive labour relations, provide developmental opportunities for members of the service, create a positive work environment, continue to build upon working partnerships with the municipality, and promote modern, efficient and effective service and program delivery to the community.

Shelagh is a graduate of McMaster University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics. She subsequently completed several courses at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Diploma in Accounting Program. Shelagh also holds the professional accounting designation of Certified General Accountant.